Wednesday March 4th

A murky day, and still eight in the house. Dan and David chipped Hansigne's teeth as she is always chewing her harness to bits. It is impossible to get anything done - we cannot anything like all sit round the table - that I stayed up late till after 1.30 trying to clear up arrears of work.

Thursday March 5th.

Stayed in bed late. Karl went off to the other side, and Sandy, Brownie and Archie went away to Advanced Base with the Blacks to fetch the skiff and a few other things. Dan worked wonders by cleaning out Primus burners by gunpowder explosions inside - Karl's suggestion. It was a quiet day, so John worked hard at his balloons, only to lose them in the afternoon when his back was turned. David is suffering from a bad heel and a frost-bitten face and did little action outside.

In the afternoon I took the remaining dogs - Sesse, Angutinguak and Palase to look for the dump of pemmican beyond Cape Upik, but could find it nowhere. Dupilek and Hansigne came loose, and while the other dogs were meant to be sitting waiting, these two upset them and they started moving off. So I took them home to return to look for the dump on foot. John came too this time, and we soon found it, much nearer than I expected. Next time I harnessed Dupelik and put him in the team and shut up Hansigne and had no trouble except when the dogs all got restless and tried to go out into the middle of the bay. I thought of a bear, but am sure there was nothing. The Colonel was a great asset, and scarcely limped at all. Pleased at having managed the dogs entirely by myself, tho' of course it was nothing. The others came home with the skiff very late.

Friday March 6th.

Up in good time to get the Plancius Bay party (Dan and Sandy) a good start, only to find the fire out and no dry wood. Got it going eventually though it made things a bit late. John and I decided to accompany the others as far as Extreme Bay with some of the Blacks and an empty sledge. Sandy took as long as usual to get ready and we weren't off till 11 o'clock.

Knowing how much I enjoy driving, the others let me lead with the Odds and Sods and the loaded Nansen, while the others followed with the Blacks and empty rigid. The surface was very wet and sticky at first and we hardly moved and Dan came up and got them to go at walking pace, and I managed to keep them up to it. Then as we got near the mouth of Extreme Zeipel Bay we crossed over a slightly defined mark on the ice, and suddenly the sledge shot ahead with the dogs galloping and I was nearly left behind; to the eye the surface appeared almost the same, but it must have been much drier. After that it was fairly easy and we got up on to the land without difficulty.

It's the first time I've driven overland and it's more fun as you have to steer on the snow keeping clear of stones, and with the Odds and Sods who obey a word of command instantaneously it is not difficult, though in the more intricate places Dan had to walk ahead about 1½ miles overland till we reached our highest point from which there was quite a steep descent into Extreme Bay. Here John and I turned back; I hadn't realised there had been a following wind all the time until we turned round and faced it and some drift. It wasn't bad, but spoilt the enjoyment of riding an empty sledge. John drove home and did the lazy Blacks a lot of good. In the evening I played chess with Archie at the same time as I made some sheepskin gloves - it's the first time any of the games have been out for a very long time.

Saturday March 7th

This has been the most loveliest day we have had yet on the expedition. The sun rose soon after 7, and shone all the time in an almost cloudless sky with practically no wind and a temperature of -20℉. John occupied himself with balloons and this time had more luck and quite a successful ascent. David tried to train the Oarks in with the Blacks, but couldn't control them on an empty sledge. In the afternoon he and I went out with the Blacks to try to get them in some state of obedience, and though they were frightfully unruly and practically nothing can be done with them when they are heading home, we think we did them some good.

Sunday March 8th

A fairly fine, quiet and warm day, a day to be outside on, but nothing compared with yesterday. Since the bedroom had at last been tidied and most people were out I took the opportunity of dealing again with my bed. Almost every day the same fruitless argument takes place as to whether the bedroom is to be kept above or below freezing point. Archie is definitely on the above 32 degrees side (when all the walls and roof thaw and drip), and I am definitely in favour of keeping it freezing, while the others are uncertain, or change their minds and vocillate (?) and humandha, and Brownie won't make a decision. As long as you have plenty of bedclothes I find you sleep wonderfully well and awake unusually fresh. Today I sewed up a blanket to fit between my sleeping-bag outer and inner as I always toss about so much. As a matter of fact things don't fall off as they are frozen on to the wall.

John was photographed in his observatory and David took some pictures of dogs etc. and I did some whipping practice. We had an early lunch and then split up in the afternoon. Brownie, John and David went for a walk into Zeipel Bay, Archie tried to take Dupelik for a walk to the North but couldn't cross the tide-crack without getting wet, and so skied instead.

I did my best to tame the Blacks again; at first I couldn't get them over the tide-crack and had to go ahead myself - in water above the top of the komagers so that my feet got soaked, and they came over in the end. As long as the dogs were not heading for home they were most obedient. I cleared traces almost at once as they got very entangled crossing the tide-crack struggle and after that headed over towards Cape Hansteen and they behaved really well and if they went a bit crooked when crossing some rough stuff they got on a straight course again on word of command, and stopped when told and started off again without my getting off the sledge. Then we headed North and they behaved well as soon as they saw they were not going to be allowed to turn for home. More running about and then we set off for home, and they just legged it; no effect when I said 'Unipok" so I whipped them right round to face Cape Hansteen and stopped them. So we tried again, and again I failed and this time they just took control and I had a fine fast ride home and they made no bones about the tide-crack this time. We'll train them yet; at any rate they are crossing less and the traces were almost clear at the end.

Monday March 9th.

A nasty day with drifting snow until the evening when it cleared up to be a fine night. Was really awakened this morning when doing the fire; it was nearly out so I put on some sticks but as they were a bit wet I poured some paraffin on too. It seemed to have no effect so I stuck my face down to see what was happening and then it suddenly flared up with a flame 4 ft high - a flash all round my face but it lasted only a second, and nothing caught fire. There was a smell of singeing and it was an incredible sight when I looked in the mirror and found hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and beard all singed and grey. Most of it brushed off and apart from slightly painful eyes and a tender skin no ill effects.

Spent most of the time doing things indoors - putting up bookshelves, cleaning up larder and rearranging stores etc. After 4.30 it cleared but it was too late to do anything. A wonderful moonrise at night, clear cut above the ice-cap, but showing most astonishing unsymmetrical shapes, sometimes like a rugby ball ready for a place-kick, and always with straight edges like a clipped coin.

Tuesday March 10th.

Quite a fine morning again with our lowest temp. -22℉. I hope we are going to have a lot of these fine quiet days in this spring. David had the cine′ camera out and took a reel of the black puppies coming out of their den. We have an early lunch nowadays so that we can have as long an afternoon as possible.

I took the Blacks out again in the afternoon - without Akuliak this time as he had a bad leg. David wanted a picture of them and we had a bad time trying to get them in the right place, but when that ordeal was over, they behaved much better. Going over towards Cape Hansteen they obeyed every word of command though I couldn't get them to move fast at all. Coming home I gave them frequent Unipoks to see how near to the Base we could get before they went wild and took control. They first refused about 300 yds. from the point, but I managed to turn them right round; then when I went to drive the words into their heads by force they ran for the Base again pulling me hanging on to the traces until at last they stopped - it was my own fault. Then I drove them round and took them towards Cape Upik where they unipoked. Then back towards the Base, and they actually unipoked again at the tide-guage. We then went in to rest on our laurels. John, David and I then went to watch Archie and Brownie ski, and started a new sport of sliding down snow slopes.

Just before supper to our surprise, Dan and Sandy arrived back from their geological journey on which they had got on so well that they came back two days early so that the rest of the spring progress could be got on with. They had seen no sign of life at all on the North coast in Nordenskjold Bay which is bad. We now have practically no dog-food (except pemmican) and the sooner the journeys get off the better. So it was decided that Sandy and Brownie should go to A to fetch Andrew tomorrow and David and John decided to go to the Advanced Base to fetch some things back.

Separated my windproof trousers and made a fine general pair from the inners.

Wednesday March 11th.

I was a fool yesterday afternoon and let my right ear be frost-bitten - you don't feel it at the time but by the evening it was quite swollen and painful and with the other hurting a bit, had a lot of difficulty in getting to sleep since I couldn't lie comfortably on either side. So the alarm was welcome for once, and Brownie got up too to get his things ready. After lighting the fire on going outside I found Pamiok just outside so caught him and Akuliak and wired them up. Ayo was a bit wary, but sleepy and didn't realise how long his trace was, poor old thing, so he gave no trouble. It's as well to get these Blacks before they get any idea that they're going to be sledged.

The two parties went off just after 8.30. A tidying day afterwards - taking advantage of the few people in the house, for soon we will be 8 or even 9 if Karl turns up. Palase was shut up as he had a bad leg, but soon got out and was after the others, so I tried to mend the dog house. Dupelik and the two Oarks, who have been missing three days returned. Soon after 4pm. John and David returned - they had made a record journey to the Advanced Base in 2hrs 20minutes with the Blacks, beating Sandy and Brownie by ¾ hour. They brought back miscellaneous things and the Klepper.

Since then the international day has proceeded. Heard Jupiter on the wireless. Brownie saw six guillemots on the cliffs this morning.

Tuesday March 12th.

International day continued. Archie pernoctated up to after the 2am reading; I fell asleep then but he thoughtfully set the alarm for 3.30am., but I awoke before then and got David up for the 4o'clock run. All as usual except that I got very footsore doing the receiver all the time and the developing as well; the beauty of the transmitting is that you sit for it. The others all gave a lot of help.

Karl arrived in the afternoon with half a reindeer and news that he had shot three more oxen on the Hansteen peninsula, which relieves the food situation somewhat. Heard from Robert that Sandy and Brownie had reached A.

Friday March 13th.

It was murky at first, but Karl decided to go, and John and Dan went with him with the Blacks to fetch back the meat. On calling up Robert at 9am heard they had had a blizzard, and before long we got it here and it has b een blowing and drifting ever since. John and Dan have not returned - they would be coming almost straight into the blizzard if they tried.

It has been quiet here. I showed David and Archie how to work the ionosphere receiver and they seem interested. We left a P't (?) running and they have shown tremendous enthusiasm in putting on calibrations every hour, and we were all very upset when nobody remembered the 10pm. one. Last night David offered me to take his place on the next Murchison Bay journey and he renewed the offer today when I was more awake: typical of him. I wish we could both go.

Had a photographic day between lunch and supper - developed three films (mostly taken by Sandy on the Plancius Bay journey) and two ionosphere records. David did all the washing - it's a great help indeed to have somebody to do this thankless part of the job, for it means you can het on at about twice the rate.

The gramophone has been out a bit recently and we have "Jesu, joy of man's desiring" which recalls many happy memories.